Potholes

A pothole is a hole in the road that is deeper than 50mm and wider than 75mm in any horizontal direction. They are usually formed during the winter months as a direct result of snow, ice and prolonged periods of rain and occur where an area of the road's surface has broken up and fallen out.

Prioritising potholes

We carry out regular inspections of the roads but also rely on the public reporting potholes to us. We inspect all reported potholes and risk assess them to prioritise their repair. They will either be classed as urgent or will be put into a planned programme of works to ensure they are repaired as efficiently as possible. The assessment will take into account many issues including the location of the pothole in the road and the type of vehicle that uses the road such as cars, motorbikes or pedal bikes.

Programmed repairs

The vast majority of reported potholes are not assessed as urgent and are put into a programme of work. Following the risk assessment, the pothole will be categorised from Priority 1 (P1) to Priority 4 (P4). The timescale for the repair depends on the risk assessment and which type of road the pothole is on – County Routes (A, B and some C roads) and Local Roads (majority of C and unclassified roads). View the map at the bottom of this page. County Routes are shown in red and blue on the map.

The table below shows the different classifications of potholes and the response time. An assessed pothole will either have orange or purple paint by it, which represents the length of time it will take to repair it.

*Where a P1 or P2 defect has initially been made safe but requires further treatment to make a permanent repair, this will be undertaken within 5 working days of the first repair.

How do I report a pothole?

We are committed to delivering frontline services and putting customers first. If you are concerned about a pothole you can Report a pothole to us online. Whilst we have responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the majority of roads in Essex, including pavements, we are not responsible for:

Private roads - these are the responsibility of residents of each private road